Metaphor in Art & Life

Metaphor in Art & Life

Thoughts are Objects that Strike

Description of motion: Hands slap together.Observed: 1-15-2016. Party. Subject was standing.Example: (slaps hands together) "Now I remember!"Use: Gesture produces sound that accompanies remembering.Metaphor: Thoughts are Objects that StrikeExplanation: Our experience with thought is that sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere. It strikes us, like a hammer might strike a nail, swiftly and with great impact. Often we do not "see it coming" (Seeing is Understanding). When we remember something we struggle to find the memory that is somewhere inside of us. Then, all of sudden, without knowing how we remember, it strikes us. The gesture that accompanies remembering is the physical manifestation of how we experience thought working. We slap our hands together, to simulate the striking characteristics of thought, (swiftly and with great force).Origin: Early on we struck rocks to make tools, as well as struck each other and the animals around us to kill and protect ourselves. This early experience with striking either in hunting or in war, taught us the value of surprise. If an opponent is unaware that a strike is coming, it will be much more effective. As our cognitive abilities progressed, we also became aware that thought had a surprise element to it as well, in that, we often do not know when one will come. We can be surprised at the thoughts that enter our mind, just as we are surprised at a punch that we didn't see coming. Both have the ability to significantly alter the direction of our lives.